Today was my last day of volunteer work in the local high school French classes. It is always on the last day when it seems it has all been worth it. There were times I felt I had taken on more than was reasonable, considering my limited free time. I only spent two or three hours a week teaching, but there were many behind the scenes hours spent making original lesson plans.

The students were young, enthusiastic, and thoughtful. More than anything, I wanted to impress upon them that the future is wide open, and that the possibilities are limitless. In high school, I never would have believed that I would one day live in France - it would have struck me as an impossible dream. We don't tend to dream big dreams here in rural Indiana. I hope I got through to some of them.

Can you pick me out amongst the 14 year olds? I thought not.

I just wanted to say that I think that's really great of you to have volunteered like that - meeting an American that's lived in France must have made it all so much more real to them.

Just think, you might become one of those teachers that really made an effect on their students lives. 10 or 15 years down the road, some of them might be saying "And I owe it all to Mrs. Jessica, who always told us that living in Frace was possible". *S*

Je t'ai trouvée ! je t'ai trouvée ! :-D
Impressionnant cette photo de classe ! Il y a un abîme entre des 14 ans de l'Indiana rural et des 14 ans parisiens…

I see you!

Mlle looks exactly the same, too...